Carnival Fever, Public Enemy Plays: London Weekend

As Richard III at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Rylance is a
scheming, homicidal liar. Yet he shows spectators a far more
likeable face, and interacts with them in ways unforeseen.
During his stern opening soliloquy, Rylance stoops and hands one
audience member a rose; in the tragic closing moments, he grabs
another’s arm and won’t let go.

All of this adds up to quite a spectacle, and makes up for
the few “Jerusalem” mannerisms that Rylance seems to have a
hard time shedding.

Tas Pide restaurant, opposite the Globe, serves Turkish
dishes that are authentic and inexpensive. There is another Tas
restaurant, on Borough High Street, if the New Globe Walk
location is too full. Information: +44-20-7633-9777 or
http://www.tasrestaurants.co.uk/ or

Saturday

A London drunk snoozes on a littered pavement as the crowd
directly above him eagerly awaits George VI’s coronation parade.

This hilarious 1937 shot by Henri Cartier-Bresson is a star
display in Tate Britain’s survey of photos by foreigners,
“Another London.” The images by Cartier-Bresson and his fellow
French photographers stand out. In another funny snap, Marc
Riboud in 1954 pictures three well-dressed Londoners peeking
through scaffolding at a bombed-out site’s reconstruction, even
as the sign above warns ‘Dangerous Fence.’

Some of the other pictures are more banal, and seem
included just to illustrate the capital’s cultural diversity.
One exception is Leonard Freed’s 1971 reportage on the Lubavitch
Hassidic community in London, and his moving photo of a
community member embracing his young daughter.

If you’re heading for Clapham Common, you might try to book
ahead for lunch at Chez Bruce. The cooking is excellent in this
low-key restaurant, a favorite among chefs and food lovers. Be
warned: It can be tough to get a table. Information:
http://www.chezbruce.co.uk/ or +44-20-8672-0114

Sunday

Strap on your banana belt: It’s carnival time.

Thousands of Londoners are getting ready to shake, shimmy
and rattle through Notting Hill from Sunday for the annual
Caribbean crawl. Calypso, soca and steel-band floats will
provide musical accompaniment, as will more than 40 DJ-operated
sound systems.

Foodies can sample West Indian specialties at stalls along
the way, such as jerk chicken and curried goat. The carnival
ends Monday, a U.K. public holiday.